`Warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may

present every man perfect in Christ Jesus' (Col. 1:28).

The first presentation rests solely upon the finished work of Christ;

the second involves the idea which is found in the word `perfect', of

pressing on to the end.  In the first no effort of our own could ever present

us `holy'; in the second we stand in need of `warning'.

Satan does not waste his energies in attempting to deprive us of our

acceptance in the Beloved.  `Your life is hid with Christ in God'.  Scripture

nowhere says: `Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take away thy

life' but it does say: `Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy

crown' (Rev. 3:11).  Satan was permitted to touch everything belonging to Job

except his life.

The same is true of all the redeemed.  There is a prize to be won, a

crown to be gained, but no man is crowned, except he strive lawfully.  If,

therefore, Satan can turn the saint away from the fulness of Christ, and get

him occupied with other means and ways, be they ordinances, days, feasts,

meats, drinks, false humility, neglect of the body, unscriptural mediators,

or any other thing save `holding the Head', then the prize is lost, the saint

dishonoured, and above all the Saviour robbed, for what is a crown to us, but

an added crown to Him?

`Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not

with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing

God: and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto

men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the

inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.  But he that doeth wrong

shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect

of persons' (Col. 3:22 -25).

`The reward of the inheritance'.  In this phrase is the key to the

apostle's object in writing the epistle.  The Colossian believers, being

members of the Body of Christ, were already potentially `seated together in

heavenly places in Christ'; already `accepted in the Beloved'; already sure

of their presentation, `holy and unblameable and unreproveable' in the sight

of God.  Already the apostle had said, `giving thanks unto the Father, which

hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light'

(Col. 1:12).

Words cannot make clearer the assured position of the believer nor the

completeness of this acceptance.  Nevertheless, before the chapter is

finished we have found Paul `warning' and `teaching' that he may `present

every man perfect in Christ Jesus', and also at the close of the epistle we

find Epaphras praying for the selfsame thing (Col. 4:12).  As it is evident

that neither Paul nor Epaphras have any doubt that what has already been

written of the saints as to standing in Colossians 1:12,13 and 22 remains

unalterably true; it becomes necessary to distinguish between the common

`inheritance of the saints in light', for which all believers have been made

meet, and `the reward' attaching to that inheritance, which was associated

with individual faithfulness.  That is the `prize attached to the high

calling' which, as in Philippians 3, is associated with `perfecting' (Col.

1:28; 4:12).